The saints everlasting rest: or, A treatise of the blessed state of the ...

Punishment inAided on it; and if the whole Body were a rotten Carcase, or might lie down again in the Duft. Much more do they want that moral Perfection which the Blessed partake of; those holy Dirpofitions of Mind; that chearful Readiness to do the Will of God; that perfect Rectitude of all their Actions. · Instead of these, they have that Perverseness of Will, that Loathing of Good, that Love to Evil, that Violence of Passion, which they had on Earth. 'Tis true, their Understandings will be much cleared by the ceasing of former Temptations, and experiencing the Falfhood of former Delusions. But they hajse the fame Dispositions ftill; and fain would they commit the fame Sins, if they could; they want but Opportunity. There will be a greater Difference hetween these Wretches, and the glorified Chriftian, than there is betwixt a Toad, and the Sun in the Firmament. The rich Man's Purple, and fine Linen, and sumptuous Fare, did not fo exalt him above Lazarus, while at his Gate full of Sores.

$ 4. (2) They shall have no comfortable Relation to God, nor Communion with him. As they did not like to retain God in their Knowledye; but said unto him, Depart from us, for we defore not the Knowledge of by Ways; fo God will abhor to retain them in his Household. He will never admit them to the Inheritance of his Saints, nor endure them to stand in his Presence, but will profess unto then, I never knew you; depart from me ye that work Iniquity. They are ready now to lay as confident Claim to Chrift and Heaven, as if they were sincere believing Saints. The Swearer, the Drunkard, the Whorematter, the Worldling, can say, Is not God our Father, as well as yours? But when Christ separate; his Followers from his Foes, and his faithful Friends from his deceived Flatterers, where then will be their presumptuous Claim?. ES

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$ 6. (4) They shall be deprived of the blessed Society of Angels and glorified Saints. Instead of being Companions of those happy Spirits, and numbered with those triumphant Kings, they must be Members of the Corporation of Hell, where they shall have Companions of a far different Nature and Quality. Scorning and abusing the Saints, hating then, and rejoicing in their Calamities, was not the Way to obtain their Blessedness. Now you are shut out of that Company, from which you first shut out yourfelves; and are separated from them, with whom you would not be joined. You could not endure them in your Houses, nor Towns, nor scarce in the King. dom, You took them, as Abab did Elijah, for the Troublers of the Land; and, as the Apoftles were taken, for Men that turned the IVorld upside down. If any Thing fell out amils, you thought all was owing to them. When they were dead or banished, you were glad they were gone, and thought the Country well rid of them. They molested you by faithfully reproving your Sins. Their holy Conversation troubled. your Consciences, to see them so far excel yoy. It was a Vexation to you, to hear them pray or fing: Praises in their Families, And' is it any Wonder it you be separated from them hereafter? The Day is: near when they will trouble you no more, Betwixt them and you will be a great Gulf fixed. Even in this Life, while the Saints were mocked, destitute, aflisted, tormented, and while they had their personal Imperfe Stions; yet, in the Judgment of the Holy Ghost, they were such of whom the IVorld was not worthy (c). Much more unworthy will the World be of their Fellowship in Glory.

$ 7. (ll) I KNOW many will be ready to think, they could spare these Things in this World well.

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enough, . : (a) Heb. i. 36--23.,

enough, and why may they not be without them in the World to come? Therefore to fhew them that this Lofs of Heaven will then be moft-tormenting, let them now consider their Understandings will be cleared to know their Loss, and have more enlarged Apprehensions concerning it, their consciences will make a differ Application of it to themselves, their Affections will no longer be stupificd, nor their Me xories be treacherous.

9-8. (1) The Underfitandings of the Ungodly will then bre cleared, to know the Worth of that which they have lofta Now they lament not their Loss of God, because they. never knew His Excellence; nor the Loss of that holy

Employment and Society, for they were never sensible what they were worth. A Man that has lost a Jewel, and took it but for a common Stone, is never troubled. ut his Loss; but when he comes to know what he lot, then he laments it. Though the Understand.' ings of the Danined will not be lanctified, yet they will be cleared from a Multitude of Errors, They now think that their Honours, Eftates, Pleasures, Healih, and Life, are better worth their Labour, than the Things of another World;, but when these Things have left them in Misery, when they experi. ence the Things which before they did but read and hear of, they will be of another Mind. They would not believe that Water would drown, till they were in the Sea; nor the Fire burn, till they were cast into it; but when they feel, they will easily believe. All that Error of Mind which made them set light by God, and ablor his Worlhip, and vilify his People, will then be confuted and removed by Experience. Their Knowledge ball be increased, that their Sure' sowy may be increased. Poor Souls! they would onmparatively be tappy if their Understandings were willy taken from bein, if iley had no more Krow